Articulated therapeutic apparatus and method

1. Apparatus for assisting a person to be transitioned between an upright sitting position to a horizontal prone position, comprising:

a fixed base having a first forward end and a second rearward end;

a seat attached to said fixed base and movable relative to said fixed base;

a torso rest attached to said fixed base and movable with respect to said fixed base between an upright position, at which time said seat is disposed at a first position relative to said fixed base, so as to permit a person's front torso portion to be engaged with and supported upon said torso rest when the person is seated in an upright position and facing toward said torso rest, and a horizontal prone position, at which time said seat is disposed at a second position, so as to support the person's front torso portion in a horizontal prone position when the person is disposed in a prone position; and

right and left leg supports for supporting the right and left legs, respectively, of the person disposed upon the apparatus, wherein said right and left leg supports are movable with respect to said fixed base;

wherein said seat, said torso rest, and said right and left leg supports are movable with respect to said fixed base in a coordinated manner so as to transitionally move the person in a supported manner between said seated upright position and said horizontal prone position as a result of the person's front torso portion being engaged with and supported by said torso rest.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

a seat mechanism connects said seat to said base at a position adjacent to said second rearward end of said base; and

a leg mechanism, interlinking said leg supports to said base, is disposed forwardly relative to said seat mechanism.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

a torso mechanism movably connects said torso rest to said base at a position interposed between said first end and said second end of said base.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:

arm rests connected to said torso mechanism and being movable in a coordinated manner with said torso, seat, and leg mechanisms.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:

an arm support mechanism operatively associated with said arm rests and hingedly connected to said torso mechanism and said seat mechanism so as to coordinate movement between said arm support mechanism, said torso mechanism, and said seat mechanism.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:

said leg mechanism, said seat mechanism, and said arm support mechanism are operatively connected together so as to coordinate movement between said leg mechanism, said seat mechanism, and said arm support mechanism.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:

said torso mechanism connects to said leg mechanism by a leg linkage so as to effect a coordinated movement between said torso mechanism and said leg mechanism.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:

said torso mechanism is operatively connected to said seat mechanism so as to coordinate movement between said torso mechanism and said seat mechanism.

9. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein;

said seat mechanism, said torso mechanism, and said leg mechanism move continuously between said seated position and said prone position.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:

a prone extent of said apparatus, when said apparatus is disposed in said prone position, is greater than a seated extent of said apparatus when said apparatus is disposed in said seated position.

11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

a head rest for supporting a portion of the person's face when the person is disposed in said prone position.